Silver Tongue
by emerlad
Summary: Snape and Lily's conversation outside the Common Room ends up a lot differently. Anybody who wants to can adopt this and do there own thing with it while I do mine.
1. Chapter 1

Silver Tongue

Belongs to JKR

Credit to kellydofc for inspiration.

"_I'm sorry."_

"_I'm not interested."_

"_I'm sorry!"_

"_Save your breath."_

_It was nighttime. Lily, who was wearing a dressing gown, stood with her arms folded in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower._

"_I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."_

"_I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just-"_

"_Slipped out?" There was no pity in Lily's voice. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends – you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"_

* * *

Severus was about to reply…..well beg is a better adjective. But when he looked at Lily's face, some random connection of neuron signals told him the inevitability of it all, it was over, she was done with him. His best friend, the only woman he's ever loved or ever will, was leaving him.

He'd blown it, there was no point in begging, pleading or screaming. She was right to feel the way she did. He guessed he should have been angry or hurt or betrayed, but those same random neuron signals in his brain connected in the right way a second time and he flashed back to the split second after he'd said the word to her. And remembered the hurt in her eyes. He had no right to feel any of those things, not after what he'd done.

So instead he laughed, he laughed at the hopelessness of the shithole that was Severus Snape's life.

Lily looked at him hard, Severus hadn't laughed in months, and now, now after insulting her after she tried to help his ungrateful skinny ass he was laughing at her.

"You think this is funny ?" She screamed at him.

Severus kept laughing, almost hysterically then he looked at her pools of emerald which were filled with venom toward him. He felt numb now.

"I'm not laughing at you Lily, I'm laughing at…" He trailed off, his hands running through his ebony locks.

"At what ? The fact that you're really as terrible as Mary and the rest say you are, Snivellus" She threw that last jibe at him for extra hurt. But it didn't register to Severus to feel it.

"Yes" He answered calmly, the numbness still there. Severus realized that this was the end. And like a muggle movie scene, where a soldier at a firing squad enjoys a cigarette before he no longer enjoys anything. Severus took Lily's hate in stride because he'd know it would be the last thing she'd ever give him.

His answer caught her off guard.

When she didn't say anything he figured he'd just confess what he felt, after all it wasn't like she'd talk to him ever again, so why not tell her all the most important things he'd held in that he wouldn't be able to tell her later ?.

"Petunia was right Lily, about me, I'm trash. And…and you're right to be angry at me I just wanna tell you this last thing because I know it's done. I wanna say that I'm sorry, I could tell you that a million times and it still wouldn't be enough, but I am. And that you're right to hate me, but you… you can never hate me more than I hate myself. I want to tell you that you're the most amazing person I've ever met and I know you're gonna go on to do great things, you're gonna, you're gonna change the world someday Lily, all I'm doing, all I've ever is hold you back"

The words were pouring out right now, Severus couldn't have stopped if he tried.

Lily had been about to leave in disgust before Sev said Petunia was right about him being trash. Now she stood there, transfixed almost, by Severus' speech.

"You were my best friend Lily, my only one. Thank you for that, for being there for me when nobody-"

Severus' voice caught and tears dripped out of his coal black eyes, he'd only cried in front of Lily once in all the years he'd known her.

"When nobody else gave a shit, thanks for sticking with me till now. And uhhh lastly I wanna say I love you, I've always loved you and I always will from the moment I saw you in the playground, till the day I die."

Severus stopped and stared at Lily, who's eyes were as wet as well.

"You bastard" She said in a quiet tear filled voice.

Severus just kept looking back.

"You bastard" She shrieked and slapped him hard across the face.

She turned her back to him and ran into the common room. Leaving Severus alone, alone with his numbness.

"Goodnight Lily"

And with that he turned and started the walk back to Slytherin's dorms.

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

That Was Awkward.

Belongs to JKR

_I've always loved you and I always will._

Severus's words stuck with Lily all night. She had come out there with the full intention of ending their friendship. But now things had gotten more…complicated. Lily had always know Severus had a crush on her from the time they'd started First Year, but love ?

No she hadn't thought that, never in a million years, if he'd said it to her another way or time she would have dismissed it off hand as lies to get her to take him back, but the way he looked at her when he'd said "I've always loved you" made the feelings he'd shown her hard to brush off .

Not to mention the fact Severus cried in front of her. Something he'd only done one other time.

Goddamn that bastard. No, she would not cry again not for Severus he'd made his choices but…..

But somehow he'd managed to drag her back down into his little world. And she knew she wouldn't get any other peace until she knew if he meant he said all those things.

"Evans" She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, she turned around quickly to see James Potter standing in front of her.

"If you still want usage of that hand Potter I suggest you remove it" She snapped

For some reason that made him smile

"I'm sorry about Snivellus-"

"Shut up Potter" She stormed off.

Even though she'd called Severus that name twice. It was odd that she was angry when Potter did it.

_I had a right to call Severus that, he called me mudblood but Potter's always had it out for him._

Lily made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast and to look for Severus, although she'd never admit that to herself. But there was no sign of him not yet at least. And she waited around for as long as possible before class started.

_Just to see if he was hanging with Avery, Mulciber, and Rosier_

But they came to breakfast without him, Lily shrugged it off and went to Potions assuming she'd see him there. But Severus was nowhere to be found. It was unlike Severus to miss any classes, especially Potions

But Lily put it in the back of her mind until about three days later when there was still no sign of Severus. Out of curiosity rather than worry she asked Slughorn if he knew where he was.

"Oh, well Lily there happened to be an unfortunate incident involving Mr. Snape and some of the other students in his dorm. Suffice to say he needed medical attention for a few days while he recuperated" Said Slughorn with joviality.

Something he always had when Lily was concerned.

"Who did it ?" Lily asked with some worry. She hated Severus but she didn't want somebody putting him in the hospice.

_Unless it's me_

"You know I can't tell you that Lily, nothing personal mind you, but house business is all" His face crinkled and he waged a fat finger in his face before going into the back room.

"What was it about ?" She asked again with sugary sweetness

"I'm afraid I still can't tell you Lily but it's of no matter Severus will be released today if I understand it"

"When ?" Lily trying to make it sound as innocent as possible

"I'm not sure but I believe by the end of the day" Slughorn said distractedly

_Interesting_

After the end of classes, Lily made her way to the hospice and waited outside for Severus to show his face.

Then she saw him move out of the it about 10 minutes after she arrived. He looked awful, his face was swollen on one side and he had a limp on his right foot and a bandaged left hand.

_What did the git do to himself ?_

He rounded the corner but before he noticed her Lily spoke out

"What in Merlin's name happened to you ?" She shouted angry at him again for some reason.

Severus might have been shocked, she couldn't tell with his face instead he just stared at her.

"Why are you here ?" Severus asked with a voice that sounded like he was chewing on cotton balls

"None of your business" She replied airily

Severus nodded his acknowledgement of that and made his way down the hall from her. She went after him.

"You didn't answer my question" She stated

"Yes" He acknowledged

"Welll ?" She trailed off impatiently

"Why does it matter to you ?" He asked with an honestly confused voice

"I, it, you…. I asked you first" Lily stumbled before giving a response that made her sound like a 5 year old

He shrugged

"I got into a fight" He said nonchalantly

"Why ?" She asked

"I wanted to see if the hospice beds we're as comfy as I heard" Severus said drily

Lily stifled a laugh which she replaced with a snort. She affected a pose of anger and planted both hands on her hips.

"What happened ?" She asked in her best stern teachers voice.

Severus sighed and said

"I came back to my Slytherin after our….talk outside your common room and got into a fight" He explained

"About what ?" She asked

"It doesn't matter, not anymore"

Lily glared at him, she knew he wasn't gonna tell her. And she wasn't going to beg after what he did so she pulled her trump card.

"You owe me this Severus" Lily said firmly

Severus seemed to wince at being reminded of his transgression and stared at Lily with hurt eyes. Suddenly she felt intensely guilty about pushing him and was about to back off when he said emotionlessly .

"Like I told you before, after I came back to my dorm room but Rosier, Avery, and Mulciber were there and tried to cheer me up by saying that you're just a mud-" He stopped

"One of those names, anyways they kept talking about how I didn't need to worry cause You-Know-Who is gonna show all of the people like you who's there betters but I….I just told them it didn't matter to me anymore and they got shocked and said your opinion shouldn't matter. And I said you were the only one whose opinion matters. Then Mulciber got angry at me and said I needed to get over you, and said that word again among other things. And…I don't know, I guess….I guess I just snapped, I punched Mulciber in the nose before getting on top of him and wailing at his face" He indicated his bandaged hand

"Then Rosier and Avery hexed me, and it all went downhill from there. I blacked out and woke up in the hospice" Severus finished his tale and stared down.

Lily felt a wave of guilt crash down in her chest the same time as an overwhelming affection for Severus rose up in it.

_Why can't I pin you down in one place Severus…no Sev. Why is it every time I think I've got an idea of who you are you have to do something like this ?_

Lily grabbed his chin and lifted it up so his eyes met hers

"You idiot" She said affectionately and pushed a lock of hair from his eyes and wrapped him in a tight hug

"Why would you do that ?" She said into his ear while releasing him

"I'd do anything for you Lily" And locked his obsidian pools with her emerald lakes and Lily felt herself shiver involuntarily from the intensity of Sev's gaze.

"I…. thank you Sev" She blushed despite herself

"Lily ?, Are we better now ?" Sev asked hesitantly

Lily was quiet for a moment

"Yes, but only on two conditions" She said confidently

"Name them"

"One, you never hang around any of those type of people who did this to you ever again. Two, the next time you get into a fight you'll call me instead of trying to go one man army on them. Deal ?"

Sev hesitated for a split second

"Deal"

Lily felt her face split into a grin and hugged Sev hard

"Ow, uh Lil I'm still sore there"

Lily pulled back feeling stupid

"Sorry"

They stood there awkwardly looking at each other before Lily broke the silence.

"Sev, those things you told me outside the common room. Did you mean them ?" She needed to know if what he felt for her was real before she could decide how she felt for him.

Sev looked at her confused for a moment

"Lil, I've never meant anything more in my entire life"

Lily found herself blushing again

_Damn it why do I keep doing that ?_

"Sev, I, I need time, I mean I love you as a friend, but….. as a boyfriend this is all happening really, really, fast for me I just need some time to sort things out" She felt her stomach clench at the look of hurt in his eyes.

He covered it up quickly and said

"It's alright Lil I've got all the time in the world"

Lily felt herself brighten up immediately

"Thank you Sev" She said with emotion in her voice

"It's no problem. I'll see you tomorrow alright ?" Sev stared down

"Alright, goodnight Sev"

"Goodnight Lil"

And he limped off into the darkness of the corridor.


End file.
